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United States Patent |
5,000,700
|
Masubuchi
,   et al.
|
March 19, 1991
|
Interface cable connection
Abstract
An interface cable connection is used for connecting between electronic
appliances, particularly appliances associated with a computer. The
connection includes a hood covering the connector. The connection is
useful for preventing accidental electric shocks, filtering undesirable
electromagnetic waves and facilitating connecting interface cables.
Inventors:
|
Masubuchi; Hitoshi (Tokyo, JP);
Kawatsu; Yasuhiro (Tokyo, JP)
|
Assignee:
|
Daiichi Denshi Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (JP)
|
Appl. No.:
|
534031 |
Filed:
|
June 6, 1990 |
Foreign Application Priority Data
Current U.S. Class: |
439/620; 333/185 |
Intern'l Class: |
H01R 013/66 |
Field of Search: |
439/620
333/181-185
|
References Cited
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Silverman, Cass & Singer, Ltd.
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. An interface cable connection comprising, a male and a female connector
at forward ends of two interface cables, each of the connectors having an
insulator tightly fitted in a forward end of the respective connector, and
contacts embedded in the respective insulator, an annular conductor
embedded in one of the insulators, and a hood made of an insulating
material, said hood being separable from and covering one of the
connectors and the interface cable connected to the connector, the hood
having filter means provided therein, adjacent to but outside of the
connector.
2. An interface cable connection as set forth in claim 1, wherein said
cable connection comprises fastening means having male screw threads and
female screw threads, said male screw threads being formed in a metallic
main body of the connector provided with the hood, and said female screw
threads having an outer circumference provided with an insulating coating.
3. An interface cable connection as set forth in claim 1, wherein said hood
comprises a connector covering portion for covering the connector and a
magnet enclosing portion for enclosing said filter means, and anchoring
means provided between the connector covering portion and the magnet
enclosing portion at an end of the magnet enclosing portion.
4. An interface cable connection as set forth in claim 3, wherein said
anchoring means is an inner diameter reduced portion whose inner diameter
is at least equal to an outer diameter of the interface cable.
5. An interface cable connection as set forth in claim 4, wherein said
anchoring means is fixed to the interface cable with an adhesive.
6. An interface cable connection as set forth in claim 1, wherein said hood
is formed of an elastic material and has a connector covering portion for
covering the connector, the inner diameter of said connector covering
portion being slightly smaller than the outer diameter of a metallic main
body of the connector.
7. An interface cable connection as set forth in claim 1, wherein said hood
is made of non-rigid polyvinyl chloride.
8. An interface cable connection as set forth in claim 1, wherein said
filter means is a cylindrical magnet having a center aperture through
which the interface cable passes.
9. An interface cable connection as set forth in claim 8, wherein said
magnet is a ferrite core.
10. An interface cable connection as set forth in claim 1, wherein said
hood comprises a connector covering portion for covering one connector and
an enlarged portion at a forward end of the connector covering portion for
receiving fastening means for fastening the connector with the other
connector.
11. An interface cable connection as set forth in claim 1, wherein said
hood has a connector covering portion for covering the connector, said
connector covering portion being formed with a screw-threaded aperture and
a set screw threadly engaged in the screw-threaded aperture of the
connector covering portion and having an inner end being urged against a
metallic main body of the connector, thereby fixing the hood against the
connector.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a connection for an interface cable connecting
between electronic appliances, particularly appliances for computers. More
particularly, this invention relates to a hood for covering a connector
for use in a connection of the appliances.
In general, an electronic appliance, particularly a computer has a central
processor arranged at a center to which are connected a memory device, an
input unit, an output unit and the like to form one system.
For example, in the computer system above described, the respective devices
are connected by so-called interface cables. In most cases, each of the
interface cables has a so-called interface connector at its mid-point
which detachably connects two parts of the interface cable.
FIGS. 1a and 1b exemplarily illustrate such a connector which is widely
used.
The connector shown in FIGS. 1a and 1b is a coaxial two-core connector
having a female connector A and a male connector B. In the connectors A
and B, each of the main bodies 1 and 1' is made of metal and is formed of
generally cylindrical configuration. The main body 1 or 1' is provided
with an insulator 2 or 2' in which are embedded contacts 3 or 3' and a
cylindrical annular conductor 4 or 4'.
A forward end of each of interface cable 5 and 5' is exposed and fixed to
the connector A or B by means of a cable clamp 6 or 6' made of metal and
provided in the main body 1 or 1'. Center conductors 8 of coaxial cables 7
in the interface cable 5 and 5' are electrically connected to the contacts
3 and 3' directly or through lead wires, and outer conductors 9 are
electrically connected to the annular conductors 4 and 4' directly or
through lead wires.
Moreover, the fixed portion of the interface cable 5 or 5' is covered by a
conductive braid which covers the built-in coaxial cables 7 and is turned
180.degree. to cover a sheath of the interface cable. Since the fixed
portion of the interface cable 5 or 5' is clamped to the conductive braid
by means of the cable clamp 6 or 6', the conductive braid of the interface
cable and the main body 1 or 1' of the connector are electrically
connected to each other.
When the male connector B is moved in the direction shown by an arrow
therefor in FIG. 1a, it is fitted in the female connector A so that a
fitted condition of the connectors is obtained as shown in FIG. 1b. In
this condition, the contacts 3 and 3' contact each other in contact
recesses 2-1 of the insulator 2 of the female connector A, while the
annular conductors 4 and 4' contact each other in an annular recess 2-2. A
connecting nut or internal thread member 10' provided on the male
connector B is threadedly engaged on screw-threads 10 formed on an outer
circumference of the main body 1 of the female connector A so that the
main bodies 1 and 1' of the female and male connectors A and B are
electrically connected to each other.
With the development of electronic techniques, the number of electric and
electronic appliances which rely upon electric power as their energy
source have increased. With such an increase of appliances, various noise
electromagnetic noise waves are emitted from these electric and electronic
appliances to disturb their activity. For the purpose of eliminating such
electromagnetic interferences, even with the usual interface connector of
the prior art as shown in FIG. 1b, a filter such as an annular or
cylindrical magnet, for example, a ferrite core 11 is fitted on the
interface cable adjacent the connectors A and B as shown in FIG. 2. The
filter is fixed thereat by a plastic mold 12, a thermally contractible
tube or turns of plastic tape on the outer surface of the filter 11 so
that undesirable electromagnetic waves are filtered to prevent them from
affecting the electronic appliances.
The connectors of the prior art shown in FIGS. 1a and 1b and 2 include the
metallic main bodies 1 and 1'. Therefore, when the connectors are
connected or disconnected for the purpose of connecting, disconnecting or
exchanging interface cables, there is often a risk of unpredictable and
accidental electric shock or the like which may injure human bodies as the
case may be, if high voltage is applied to the main bodies due to a
thunderbolt, electric leakage or the like.
In case of a connector provided adjacent to a magnet capable of removing
undesirable electromagnetic waves as shown in FIG. 2, special instruments
and tools and difficult assembly operations are needed, such as injection
molding of plastic coating, winding plastic tapes or heating for thermal
shrinkage, in order to affix the magnet. Moreover, in cases where terminal
treatment (forming of connections) of cables of predetermined lengths is
effected off site in a factory, if lengths of cables are erroneously cut
too short, they cannot be used and therefore are wasted.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the invention to provide an interface cable connection
which eliminates all the disadvantages of the prior art and which is high
in quality and reliability and is able to prevent any accidental electric
shock and any impediment in electromagnetic waves and malfunction of a
computer due to undesirable waves.
In order to accomplish said object in an interface cable connection
including a male and a female connector at forward ends of two cables,
each of the connectors having an insulator tightly fitted in a forward end
of the connector, and contacts and an annular insulator embedded in the
insulator, the connection according to the invention comprises a hood
constructed of an insulating material and covering one of the connectors
and the interface cable connected to the connector, and the hood includes
filter means located adjacent to the connector.
When the hood having said filter means is mounted on an interface
connector, the hood insulates and covers the connector.
Since the hood includes a filter, for example, a magnet, undesirable
electromagnetic waves are filtered when the hood is fitted on an interface
connector.
Since the hood has been previously manufactured so as to be detachable,
terminal treatment of interface cables can be effected at job sites and
molding treatment is not required at actual such sites after mounting of
the connector.
The invention will be more fully understood by referring to the following
detailed specification and claims taken in connection with the appended
drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIGS. 1a and 1b and 2 illustrate
interface cables with connectors of the prior art;
FIG. 3 illustrates an interface cable connection according to the
invention;
FIG. 4 illustrates a hood used in the interface cable connection according
to the invention; and
FIG. 5 is a partial sectional view illustrating a preferred embodiment of
the invention.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
FIG. 3 illustrates a connection of an interface cable according to the
invention. In FIG. 3, like components are designated by the same reference
numerals as those in FIG. 1. A metallic main body 1 or 1' receives therein
an insulator 2 or 2' in which contacts 3 or 3' and an annular conductor 4
or 4', are retained. An interface cable 5 or 5' is clamped to a female or
male connector and includes coaxial cables 7, each including a center
conductor 8 and an outer conductor 9. Reference numeral 10 denotes screw
threads formed on the main body 1 of the female connector, while reference
numeral 10' denotes a connecting nut. The screw threads 10 and the
connecting nut 10' form fastening means for firmly connecting the two
connectors.
According to the invention there is provided a hood 13 including a filter
11, for example, a magnet built therein.
The hood having the magnet therein according to the invention is detachably
mounted on a connector. A construction of the hood is shown in FIG. 4. In
brief, the hood according to the invention comprises a connector covering
portion 13-1 and a magnet enclosing portion 13-2 and, if required, an
enlarged portion 13-3. The connector covering portion 13-1 receives
therein the connector A or B. The magnet enclosing portion 13-2 encloses
therein an annular or cylindrical magnet 11. The magnet used herein is
annular or cylindrical and has an inner diameter slightly larger than a
cable diameter and an outer diameter which is suitably selected but
smaller than an outer diameter of the main body of the connector. The
cylindrical magnet may be formed by a plurality of annular magnets which
are equal or different in dimension or electromagnet characteristics.
In general, a commercially available magnet referred to as ferrite core is
preferably used as the magnet 11. A material and magnetic force of the
ferrite core may be properly selected depending upon kinds of waves to be
filtered.
Sizes of the connector covering and magnet enclosing portions 13-1 and 13-2
can be selected relatively freely so long as they are able to accommodate
the connector and the magnet, respectively. However, it is preferable to
select sizes of the connector covering and magnet enclosing portions so as
to be relatively small because of the somewhat restricted spaces in which
such connectors usually are located.
If the hood 13 is made of an elastic material such as rubber, an inner
diameter of the connector covering portion 13-1 may be slightly smaller
than the outer diameter. With this arrangement, when once the hood is
provided on the connector to cover it, the hood is firmly secured to the
connector of its own accord with the aid of friction therebetween.
Moreover, a size of the enlarged portion 13-3 is suitably selected to be
able to accommodate the connecting portion with a mating connector or the
connecting nut and to permit the connecting operation. The enlarged
portion 13-3 may be provided only on either one of the male and female
connectors. A hood on the mating connector is not needed.
The hood 13 according to the invention is provided with an anchoring
portion or reduced portion 14 between the connector covering portion 13-1
and the magnet enclosing portion 13-2 and an anchoring portion or reduced
portion 15 at an end of the magnet enclosing portion 13-2. For example,
inner diameters of the reduced portions 14 and 15 may be equal to or
slightly smaller than an outer diameter of the interface cable 5 or 5'. In
this manner, the hood 13 is fitted on the interface cable firmly to an
extent such that the hood is not easily removed therefrom by reason of
friction at least between the reduced portions 14 and 15 and the sheath of
the interface cable 5 or 5'. The extent of the firm fitting may be
suitably designed in a relation between materials of the hood 13 and the
sheath of the interface cable 5 or 5'.
General examples of the material of the hood 13 are as follows. Where the
sheath of the interface cable is made of a rubber or plastic material for
general purpose, the hood according to the invention may be formed by a
single or a mixed composition of a natural rubber, a synthetic rubber such
as polybutadiene, polyisoprene, ethylene propylene rubber (EPR and EPTR),
polyurethane, and the like, and a plastic such as non-rigid polyvinyl
chloride, polyethylene and the like. Of these, the non-rigid polyvinyl
chloride is most preferable.
The hood according to the invention can be made by general rubber or
plastic forming techniques such as extruding, injection molding and the
like. Injection molding is particularly effective for mass-production of
the hoods.
In forming the connection of an interface cable according to the invention,
first a terminal of the cable is treated. In the treatment of the
terminal, a sheath of the interface cable is peeled over a predetermined
length to expose coaxial cables. If there is a conductive braid, it is
turned 180.degree. on the sheath of the cable so as to cover the sheath.
Moreover, insulating layers between center conductors 8 and outer
conductors 9 of the exposed cable 5 or 5' are removed over a predetermined
length, so that the center conductors 8 and outer conductors 9 are able to
be connected to contacts 3 and 3' and annular conductors 4 and 4' of the
connectors A and B to be connected. The terminal treatment is effected in
this manner.
The previously manufactured hood 13 according to the invention has been
previously fitted on the interface cable 5 whose terminal has been
treated. Thereafter, the connector A or B is connected to the interface
cable fitted with the hood 13. In more detail, the conductive braids of
the interface cables 5 and 5' are fixed to the connectors A and B by means
of the cable clamps, respectively, and center conductors 8 and the outer
conductors 9 are connected to the contacts 3 and 3' and the annular
conductors 4 and 4' of the connectors A and B. This connection is effected
in one of various ways such as soldering, crimping, pressure joining,
pressure welding and the like. Any one of the fixation of the cable and
the connection of the conductors of the coaxial cables may be effected
prior to the other. The order of the operations is not critical.
After the connectors A and B are secured to the interface cable 5 and 5' in
the above manner, the connectors A and B are connected to each other so
that the interface cables 5 and 5' are connected to each other through the
inner conductors 8 and the outer conductors 9 of the respective cables.
Thereafter, the hood 13 previously fitted on the cable 5 is moved toward
the interface cable 5' so that the connector covering portion of the hood
13 completely covers the connector A. When the hood is stopped in position
on the connector A, the hood is fixed on the cable so as not to move with
ease with the aid of the resilience of the reduced portions 14 and 15 of
the hood 13 and the frictional action between the cable sheath and the
reduced portions. In the securement of the hood 13, an adhesive may be
previously applied to the reduced portions 14 and 15 so that a more
reliable securement is accomplished.
In the securement, moreover, any known means may be used, for example,
clamping, stud screws and the like. For example, as shown in FIG. 5, the
connector covering portion 13-1 of the hood 13 is formed with a small
screw-threaded aperture passing therethrough, and a set screw 16 is
threadedly engaged in the screwed aperture so that the metal main body 1
is urged by an inner end of the set screw 16.
Although the hood 13 has been explained only with respect to one of the
male and female connectors in the above description, two hoods 13 may be
provided at both the connectors, respectively. In such case, the enlarged
portion 13-3 may be provided only at one of the two hoods. It is not
necessary to provided the hood at each of the two hoods.
Moreover, in case one of the male and female connectors provided with the
connecting nut 1 does not have the hood 13, the connecting nut 1 may be
coated on its outer circumference with a coating layer of an insulating
rubber or plastic material. With such an arrangement, an operator can
effect the connecting and disconnecting of the connectors A and B without
touching the electrically conductive portions. Therefore, the operator is
protected from accidental electric shock due to unpredictable charging
which is one problem in the prior art intended to be avoided.
Although the connection between cables at the mid-point of an interface
cable connecting between electronic appliances has been explained, the
invention is not limited to such a connection. The present invention is
applicable to a connector on a side of an interface cable at a connection
between the interface cable and a receptacle connector attached to an
electronic appliance.
Moreover, in the above embodiment the hood 13 is fixed only with the aid of
the resilience and friction of the reduced portions 14 and 15. A clamping
fastener applied to an outer circumference of the hood or serrations
formed in an inner circumference of the hood and an outer circumference of
the cable or connector may be used which is a change of design within the
scope of the invention.
Furthermore, the male and female shapes of contacts embedded in the
insulators at the connection according to the invention are not
necessarily corresponding to the male and female shapes of connectors
(insulators) to be fitted. Any combination of them may be selected as the
case may be. For example, a contact is formed in a female type, while a
connector (insulator) receiving the contact may be a female or male type.
Although the invention has been explained with respect to coaxial multicore
interface cables, the invention is of course applicable to other general
interface cables.
The invention as above described can bring about the following particularly
significant effects.
(1) The connection of the interface cable according to the invention
includes an insulating hood covering a metallic connector. Therefore, even
if an extraordinary electric voltage is applied to the interface cable,
any accidental electric shock can be avoided.
(2) The connection of the interface cable according to the invention
includes a hood having a magnet around the interface cable adjacent
connector so that undesirable electromagnetic waves are filtered to
prevent any impediment in electromagnetic waves, malfunction of a computer
and the like due to the undesirable waves.
(3) The hood used in the connection according to the invention can be
manufactured in a well-equipped factory. Consequently, hoods of a constant
quality and requisite numbers can be produced at pre-planned quantities.
(4) The hood according to the invention is preformed and detachably
attached to the connector. In forming the connection of an interface
cable, therefore, the hood does not require mold working requiring
particular equipment, tools and treatment. Consequently, the invention can
provide a connection which is high in quality and reliability,
particularly in a connecting operation which requires specific lengths of
interface cables at actual locations.
While the invention has been particularly shown and described with
reference to preferred embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those
skilled in the art that the foregoing and other changes in form and
details can be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of
the invention.
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